Some would say that there is no real good answer for how to solve the “diversity problem” in medicine. Personally, The response to diversity from these two institutions cannot be more different. UCSF decided to provide a health service that was specific to the unique needs of a particular population. In so doing they also acknowledge the work that still must be done to produce more doctors of color. Texas Tech, in an attempt to remove what I believe to be unreasonable scrutiny informed by racism, commits to a race-blind admission policy.

Silence, colorblindness, ignorance, inaction, all these approaches have not brought us any closer to diminishing the life-threatening experiences that Black people suffer at the hands of others in this country. From institutional racism and physical acts of violence, Blacks have endured much over these centuries. Despite it all, we persist and endure, and our accomplishments are many.

The liberal arts require us to engage with very human issues: ethics, morality, compassion, hope, despair, fairness, equity, etc. So long as humans are part of the equation, we will need people who know how to factor these issues and ideas into the development of innovation. The liberal arts remind us we are humans. All that we create, including technology, requires a deep understanding of who we are as human beings and how we function. Tech and other industries need us more than we need them.

I recently came across a video by the online company Jumpcut. It is a promotional video about the services they sell that will help you “Design your life. Follow your passion. Become an influencer.” (you can see it by clicking on the image above). I watched the video with the sound off first just to see how the images are used to convey the company’s message. Then I watched it with the sound on. Interesting...a few initial thoughts.